Finding ways to include teaching African-American history in classrooms is a
challenge for teachers. State law requires the subject be taught but leaves implementation
up to school officials and teachers. Many districts weave African-American history into
all course work since African-Americans have been a part of and have contributed to
every discipline. Some schools also offer specific courses on the subject.

Developing and assembling classroom materials and lesson plans for this subject is a
time-consuming challenge for teachers. Professional educators demand quality, relevance
and accuracy in the course work they bring to students.

That is why The Jackson Sun decided to form a partnership with local educators to turn
its civil rights project, "October 1960: The Untold Story of Jackson's Civil Rights
Movement," into a community education resource.

During the earliest research stages of the project at The Sun, Jackson-Madison County
school officials were invited into the process. Assistant Superintendent for Instructional
Services Pam Finney was given an overview of the project and asked to comment on its
suitability as an education resource and offer suggestions to help guide it in that direction.

The Sun's goal was to record local history and present it in a way that would later lend
itself to use in the classroom.

One result was that Jackson-Madison County students were included in the project.

They helped write the final section of the series, "Where do we go from here." Their
essays about the future of the civil rights movement provided the springboard for The
Sun's ongoing commitments to the civil rights project, education and diversity in the
community.

Beginning with the series' release, it has received positive recognition and critical
acclaim from journalists across America. Now comes the challenge of getting it into
classrooms. We knew that meant more than just reprinting the material and sending it to
schools.

Once again the newspaper turned to school officials for help. Superintendent Roy
Weaver generously provided teachers from a variety of grade levels and subject
disciplines to help. Seven teachers and two administrative supervisors were given a full
day away from classes to discuss the series and to prepare professional lesson plans other
teachers could use in their classrooms.

These lesson plans will save teachers hours of precious time. They will enable teachers
to take the series into their classrooms with confidence. And they will provide students
with creative, insightful approaches to learning, designed for their grade level and subject
matter by qualified professionals.

The Jackson Sun wants to thank Superintendent Weaver and the administrators and
teachers of the Jackson-Madison County School system who helped make this project a
success. It couldn't have been done without them.

Those who contributed:

Deborah Aylor - Secondary Supervisor

Pam Finney - Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services

Teresa Luna - Jackson Central-Merry High School teacher, U.S. History and Contemporary Issues